PHOENIX – Whether you’re looking for an activity to keep the out-of-towners entertained over the holidays or looking for a way to get into the winter spirit without the snow, several ice rinks have popped up around the Valley!

Grab the camera, hat and jacket, and hit the ice at these Valley ice rinks.

A new 30-foot copper “Unity Tree” will fill the center of the rink. The cone-shaped tree will have different LED lights that guests will be able to change and control using consoles at the base of the tree, according to a news release. The tree will be topped with a Phoenix, the mythical bird.

The Nov. 23 tree lighting will happen at 6 p.m. Ice skating will start at noon and Santa will arrive at 3:30 p.m.

This year, skaters can purchase their tickets online and reserve a time slot. However, the rink will also be open on a first-come, first served basis.

Westgate will light host its tree-lighting ceremony and light its 36-foot Christmas tree on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. Santa will make a visit from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

$12 – general admission (bring your own skates); toddlers and military members (with ID)

$99 – season pass

Parking note: On event days at State Farm Stadium and Gila River Arena, Westgate will have a $10 parking fee three to four hours before the event starts. You can get a voucher for $10 off a skate rental that same day. Free parking starts 30 minutes after the event begins.

MESA’S WINTER WONDERLAND ICE RINK (NOV. 23 – JAN. 4, 2019)

The City of Mesa’s ice rink will open on Nov. 23, 2018, and run through Jan. 4, 2019, part of its Merry Main Street celebration.

There will be an opening ceremony on Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. with AZ ICE. The rink will open to the public at 6 p.m.

Normal hours will be 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. during the week and noon to 10 p.m. on weekend. Visit http://merrymainst.com/icerink/ for a list of holidays with special hours.

Admission:

$10 – general admission. Tickets can be bought online or at the rink.

No discount for bringing your own skates. Admission includes skate rental and an hour of skate time.

ICE SKATING AT TEMPE MARKETPLACE (NOV. 23-25)

Tempe marketplace will have free ice skating from Nov. 23-25, 2018. The synthetic rink will be open to those five and older.

It will be set up near Dave and Buster’s. Skates will be provided. Make sure to have socks.

The shopper center will light its 60-foot tree on Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. near the District stage following by its first snowfall of the season. Visit https://tempemarketplace.com/holiday/ for more information.

The Scottsdale Fairmont Princess will open its 6,000-square-foot ice rink on Nov. 20, part of its annual Christmas festival.

The cost is $20 per person and skate rentals are $5. That is in addition to the $55 self-park fee, which includes activity wristbands for up to six people. The wristband provides access to the Princess Express, S’mores Land, Polar Glide Ice Slide, Christmas Carousel, Nativity Garden and Enchanted Plaza Experience.

For those who walk-up or take an Uber or Lyft to the resort, wristbands are $25. More information.

AZ ICE (year-round skating)

AZ ICE has three locations around the Valley — Arcadia, Gilbert and Peoria— and public skating sessions throughout the year.

Times and hours vary at each location. So, you will want to check each location’s website to view their schedule.

Skate rentals are $3.50. Admission varies between $5-$9.50 per person. Discounts are available for seniors and military members.

ICE DEN (year-round skating)

ICE DEN has two locations in the Valley — Chandler and Scottsdale.

Both locations will host a “Turkey Skate” events after Thanksgiving. The schedules and times vary at each locations. Make sure to check the website for each.

The Bridges is a thoughtful master planned community with multiple builders at various price ranges. It is zoned in the coveted Chandler Unified School District. The beautiful layout of the various amenities, appeals to homeowners of all seasons of life. This search is for those looking for homes under $300,000.

CHANDLER, AZ – Salt River Project believes parts of quickly-growing Chandler will soon require more electricity, but a plan to provide that power has stalled.

The Gila River Indian Community Council voted this week to not allow a right-of-way for part of the power line infrastructure on Gila River land, according to an SRP news release.

The project would go to supply projected increased power needs along the Price Road Corridor, a “five-square-mile area bounded by Chandler Boulevard, Chandler Heights Road, Dobson Road, Price Road and the Gila River Indian Community,” according to SRP.

“SRP is disappointed with [Gila River’s] unexpected decision,” John Coggins, SRP’s senior director of system operations, said in a news release.

The entire project has been controversial as some residents who live along the proposed transmission route off of Gila River land have voiced opposition.

“We want the [lines] in our backyard, as long as they’re under our backyard,” said Laine Schoneberger, who lives adjacent to the proposed route near Ocotillo Rd. and Arizona Ave.

SRP will not bury the lines because that would cost 11 times more than placing them above ground, the utility said on its website.

Buying a home isn’t something anyone should take lightly. However, it is the American dream. Few people go through life with no aspirations to become homeowners one day in the future. But for some, could renting a more solid financial option? When it comes to renting vs. owning, which is for you?

In order to decide whether or not you’d truly benefit from buying a home instead of renting a home, you need to take a few things into consideration and be open and honest with yourself about your ability to sustain home ownership. There are many benefits to becoming a homeowner, but there are also benefits in regards to renting. In most cases, it’s a much more sound decision to own a home: but there are cases when renting might be the best option for your current position in life. So, what things should you consider before you take the home buying plunge?

1. Cost

Cost is perhaps the most obvious concern when you’re deciding on renting vs. owning versus just renting one. Determining a budget that includes all of your financial obligations is the first and most important step in your journey.

Depending on the amount of financial obligations you’ve got on your plate (student loan payments, credit cards, car payments, utilities, etc.), you’ll want to spend somewhere between 15% and 35% of your total income on rent or a mortgage payment. For a person making $50,000 per year (pre-tax), this means you’ll want to spend somewhere between $625 and $1460 per month on rent or mortgage payments. In most cases, you’ll want to stick closer to the lower number instead of the higher one (unless you’ve got very few financial obligations otherwise).

You’ll also want to make sure you’ve got enough money for a down payment on a home if you choose to buy. This will range anywhere from 3.5% of the cost of the home to 20% or more. You’ll also need to account for fees that might be due at the time of signing.

It’s extremely important to remember that mortgage payment estimates– the ones you’ll often see on real estate sites– do not include things like homeowner’s insurance, property taxes and mortgage insurance premiums, which will increase the total amount you pay every month. Once you factor in those items, the monthly payment will increase up to twice as much. (For example, a $100,000 30-year fixed home loan at a 4% interest rate would be around $485 per month– but once taxes and insurances are figured into that, it could be as much as double that every month).

Decide how much you can truly afford to spend on your housing payment and decide what kind of house you could buy in your desired location with that payment. This will help to initially guide you in your decision.

2. Location Plans

Are you planning to spend three or more years in your location? If not, buying might not be for you. While most home loans have 30-year terms, that doesn’t mean you have to intend on staying in the home for a full 30 years, of course. However, if you’re planning a large move within three years after purchasing a home, it might be in your best interest to rent an apartment until you find somewhere you’d like to live for a longer period of time.

3. Your Financial Goals

Financial goals are another major considering when deciding on renting vs. owning. One wonderful thing about owning a home is that you will be making a sound, lower-risk investment into your financial future. When you rent an apartment or home, the money you spend each month on rent is money you will never see again. It goes to pay your landlord’s mortgage, in fact, so that he can make his financial goals come to fruition. When you own a home, you pay yourself each month by owning more and more of the property until you own it outright.

Your home is an investment in your future. With each payment you make, the amount of equity you have in your home will increase. The equity in your home can then be used to do things like pay off debt, make home improvements or repairs, send your kids to college, save for retirement, or even be put away into an emergency cash reserve fund to keep you and your family safe in case of a financial catastrophe such as a job loss.

You cannot do any of this while renting a home or apartment, so there is a clear and obvious advantage to home ownership in this regard. Learn more about cashing out and protecting your equity.

4. Home Upkeep and Repair Costs

Home ownership does have its costs. When you rent an apartment or home, your landlord is responsible for most of the repairs that will be necessary as the home and its contents age or are weathered or damaged. These costs can be considerable, ranging anywhere from less than a hundred bucks for something like a leaky faucet or a few blown-off shingles to thousands of dollars for a new roof or new windows. When you own a home, you’ll need to make sure you can pay for repairs if something goes wrong.

Luckily, homeowners also have equity on their sides. After a few or more years of living in your home, you may be able to utilize the equity to help make those needed repairs and upgrades. However, it should be considered in your decision making. You should definitely have a cushion of cash set aside in reserve to account for unforeseen emergencies such as these.

5. The Housing Market

One should also consider the current state of the housing market when deciding on renting vs. owning a home. How are interest rates? What are home values in the neighborhood in which you’re looking to live? What is the outlook on that neighborhood? Are home values there steady or increasing? Have they been decreasing? Consider all of this.

In terms of rent, consider the same. Look at the average cost to rent and decide whether or not that fits your budget and goals as well.

6. Your Credit

When considering whether to rent or buy a home, you’ll also want to give deep consideration to your credit status. How does your credit report look? Is your credit score healthy? Do you have collections, bankruptcies, tons of credit card debt, or other potentially negative items lurking on your credit report? Make sure you check all three of your credit reports and scores before even thinking of applying for a mortgage.

Some mortgages don’t require perfect credit, but in order to get the best rate, you’ll definitely want your credit to be in good condition. Work on paying off credit cards and fixing collections to make sure your credit is as good as it can be. If it needs work, you may have to rent while you position yourself to be better equipped to buy a home in the future.

Mortgage rates have remained near historic lows throughout the start of the year – a factor which has, and likely will continue to drive the market forward – but how long will these low rates last? While rates have continued to coast below the 4% mark, the National Association of Realtors has predicted the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate will jump to 4% in the second quarter of 2015, and continue to rise from there. So what can you or your clients do to secure the low rates while they’re still here? We’ve done our homework, and found that these 5 simple tips can help you lock down the lowest mortgage rates possible.

Mind your credit score. Minimum credit scores required by lenders have steadily dropped, and mortgage insurers’ underwriting guidelines have also loosened a bit, but it’s still a little tough. Average FICOs of applicants approved for home loans continue to come down, but they’re still hovering around the 700 mark. Unfortunately, three-fourths of U.S. consumers have scores lower than 700.

Visit your lender before you hit the open houses. Create a game plan that makes sense for your budget. It pays to talk to a lender about what you can afford and qualify for before you fall in love with a home outside your price range.

Just because you qualify for a certain loan amount doesn’t mean that is what you should spend. Consider your monthly budget, and determine what level of monthly payment feels comfortable. Remember that there will be other costs relating to homeownership, including property taxes, maintenance and unexpected repairs.

Don’t make any changes to your financial picture. Once you’ve been preapproved, this is not the time to open new credit cards, change jobs, transfer large sums of money or make big-ticket purchases using credit. Once you are preapproved, don’t apply for any new credit. If you go ahead and finance furniture, it can mess up the amount that you were preapproved for.

If you are self-employed, expect to jump through more hoops. Be prepared to provide two years’ worth of tax returns. If your income fluctuated from one year to the next, underwriters will average the income from the two years. Also, underwriters will look at your income after your business deductions have been taken.

Organize your financial paperwork and keep it up to date. If you are shopping for a home, keep a file and drop in new documents as you receive them, including your most recent pay stub and all pages of your bank statement.

Many times applications sit on mortgage processors’ desks because the borrowers have not supplied everything necessary to get the file into underwriting. If an underwriter needs additional information or documents, get that in as quickly as possible. In a busy office, every time your application needs something else, it may be moved to the bottom of a pile and not resurface for days.

Do think these tips will be helpful for those looking to buy a home? Do you have any suggestions we might have missed? We’d love to hear your thoughts.